There is
a thin line between passion and obsession. Between devotion and delusion. Real
obsession consumes a person’s life. At first, it claws at your feet, harmless, it
seems. Just a hobby, just a little something to do when bored. As it travels up,
you find it increasingly difficult to break away. But that’s okay, it’s normal
to adore certain things, after all. Right? Sure, but once it reaches your
heart, you’re done. Gone. It can become something that controls you. Take Hagar
in Song of Solomon, for instance, who
obsessed over a man so dearly she died thinking of all the things wrong
with her that deprived her of his love. Hagar felt that she was not good
enough for Milkman, that she looked “awful” without having “Penny-colored hair” or “Lemon-colored
skin” (Morrison 315-316). Her life turmoiled into a state of depression because
of her intense desire to be loved by Milkman instead of focusing
on the love she already had from her family. In fact, she was pretty much
lifeless before the fever. Or, rather, wasn’t really living. Being alive doesn’t
necessarily mean living.
Contrary
to Hagar’s death, Pilate died without being attached to anything materialistic.
She never obsessed over money like Macon did. She never obsessed over a man
like Hagar did. She never obsessed over gold like Milkman did. For this reason,
she flew “Without ever leaving the ground” (Morrison 226). It might be tempting
to cross that thin line between passion and obsession. It’s easy, really. It’s easy
to slip away from reality. But we have to remind ourselves of where we stand to prevent the darkness of greed from consuming us.
